Entertainment
Lea Michele addresses ‘Funny Girl’ casting controversy and accusations of bullying on ‘Glee’ set
“Everybody right here has been via lots, and I simply have to return in and be ready and do a superb job and be respectful of the truth that that is their house,” she informed the Occasions forward of her first efficiency.
Michele’s street to “Humorous Woman” was lengthy and winding: Per the New York Occasions, she found the musical as a young person whereas performing within the Tony-winning musical “Spring Awakening.” Michele mentioned she fell in love, and shortly thereafter, she was solid because the lead in Ryan Murphy’s TV comedy “Glee.” Her character, the gifted however grating Rachel Berry, shared Michele’s real-life obsession with the Streisand-starring musical.
After years of performing songs from “Humorous Woman” on “Glee” — Rachel even stars in its revival on the collection — and numerous makes an attempt to convey the musical to Broadway, director Michael Mayer informed the Occasions Michele was thought-about for the function forward of the brand new manufacturing however sensed she could not have been prepared. (Michele gave delivery to her son in 2020 when the musical was being solid.) Michele mentioned she informed Mayer, after studying of Feldstein’s casting, that she’d be “honored” to imagine the function if Feldstein’s run ended.
And Feldstein’s stint in “Humorous Woman” did finish — months sooner than she initially introduced. The extremely anticipated manufacturing obtained largely unfavourable evaluations when it opened in April, and far of them took intention at Feldstein’s vocal skills. In July, Feldstein introduced that she’d depart the musical on the finish of the month as a substitute of September. The subsequent day, the “Humorous Woman” group introduced Michele’s casting.
Hiring Michele as Feldstein’s alternative proved a controversial determination. Many theater followers have been reminded of “Glee” actor Samantha Marie Ware’s claims in 2020, when she accused Michele of fostering a poisonous setting on the set and mentioned Michele uncovered her to “traumatic microaggressions.” When Michele was solid, Ware commented: “Sure, I care. Sure, im (sic) affected … Sure, I used to be abused. Sure, my goals have been tainted. Sure, Broadway upholds whiteness.”
Michele declined to handle Ware’s claims with the Occasions however mentioned that her work ethic and “stress of perfectionism left (her) with a number of blind spots.”
As for the joke that Michele is illiterate, which circulates on-line each time Michele makes information, she recommended the joke was made due to her gender.
“I went to ‘Glee’ each single day; I knew my strains each single day,” she informed the Occasions. “After which there is a rumor on-line that I am unable to learn or write? It is unhappy. It truly is. I feel typically if I have been a person, a number of this would not be the case.”
Michele’s first present as Fanny is September 6. Feldstein’s standby, Julie Benko — who took over the function in August, will fill in for Michele as soon as per week for the remainder of Michele’s run.